By Alexander Pracht
Just a few years ago, the idea that Armenia might consider joining the European Union seemed marginal and far removed from the actual political discourse in the country. Today, however, EU aspirations are slowly making their way into the government’s policy framework. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has, at times, expressed his desire for Armenia to be “as close as possible” to the EU.
Nonetheless, it is the minor pro-European parties, not represented in parliament, that have recently initiated a signature campaign, pushing for a referendum to start negotiations on EU membership.
The campaign aimed to gather 50,000 signatures to ensure the petition would be formally considered by the National Assembly, but this might just be a part of a larger strategy leading up to the 2026 parliamentary elections. The pro-European parties, having garnered substantial visibility through this campaign, are expected to leverage their momentum. They may not only contest seats in the parliament but could potentially secure roles within the cabinet if a coalition government emerges.
According to a September survey conducted in Armenia by the U.S.-funded International Republican Institute, 58% of respondents expressed support for Armenia joining the EU in a potential referendum, while only 13% opposed it. Among those favoring EU membership, 40% specifically highlighted the prospect of strengthening Armenia’s security and stability as a key reason for their support.
Magda Arzakanyan, one of the signers, said her motivation is Armenia’s cultural connection with Europe.
“I don’t trust any political force. The cultural [affinity] to Europe is my main concern,” she said, also revealing that she voted for Pashinyan’s Civil Contract party in the 2021 elections. “It was our only chance to bring about changes.”
Although the Armenian Electoral Committee only allowed the signatures to be collected in government offices across the country, and not in the embassies, some diaspora Armenians got to support the cause anyway.
“I want Armenia to be prosperous, that’s why I’m here signing to be with Europe. Although Pashinyan makes a lot of mistakes, I’m with him on the issue of choosing Europe over Russia, because Russia betrayed Armenia,” Ruzanna Hovhakimian, a dual U.S.-Armenian citizen, told CivilNet.
“We also had quite a lot of Russians with Armenian citizenship,” Lusine Petrosyan, the campaign’s volunteer who registers signatures in central Yerevan, said.
The Armenia-Russia agenda is among the most popular concerns with the signers. Russia has been Armenia’s main ally for decades, historically taking responsibility for its security and enjoying a monopoly supplying Armenia’s economic and energy needs.
However, relations have frayed in recent years, particularly after the Russian-led Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military alliance, failed to intervene when Azerbaijani forces attacked and occupied sovereign Armenian territory multiple times since 2021.
On top of that, there is great frustration in Armenia with Russia’s inaction during the 2023 Azerbaijani ethnic cleansing in Nagorno-Karabakh, which forced the entire Armenian population to flee, despite Russia’s peacekeepers being stationed there with an obligation to prevent hostilities. This has been exacerbated by hostile rhetoric from key Russian officials, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and the ministry’s spokesperson Maria Zakharova, making the situation even worse.
“I want my country to join the European Union because Europe has democratic traditions, and I want us to join those traditions and free ourselves from the Russian yoke,” Harutyun Hakobyan, another signer, said as he spoke to CivilNet outside the signature collection point. He was also certain that the general support for EU membership is overwhelming among Armenians: “[If a referendum were held now,] I’m sure that more than 80% of people would vote to join.”
Most Armenians are pro-European and there will be enough signers to initiate the referendum even without any direct support from the Pashinyan-controlled parliament, according to Tigran Khzmalyan, the leader of Armenia’s European Party, the vanguard political force behind the signature collection campaign.
“If we manage to collect 50,000 votes and the ruling party turns down our proposal to hold a referendum, they will become one with the opposition in this regard, and we will use it against them. And in that case we’ll launch another campaign and collect 300,000 votes, and they will be legally obliged to hold the referendum,” he told CivilNet.
Being very optimistic about the campaign’s success, Khzmalyan, however, pointed out the notable age gap among the signers, saying that the majority of signatures are coming from older individuals. “People of my age have provided most of the signatures so far. The young people seem indifferent to our cause,” he remarked.
Khzmalyan also believes Pashinyan’s government should not proceed with European integration without overwhelming popular support for the cause: “The referendum is important because Armenia’s movement toward Europe needs to be backed by its citizens. Should Pashinyan want to bring Armenia to the EU on his own, by his own will, he will be defeated, just like Saakashvili was defeated in Georgia. Additionally, Armenia may not join any supranational union without a popular vote of its citizens. It’s written in the Constitution.”
A movement toward the European Union would require not only domestic support but also a clear signal from the EU that Armenia is welcome in the bloc. However, full EU membership is a lengthy and complex process that could take decades. Countries like Ukraine, Moldova, Bosnia, and Georgia recently received candidate status after years of waiting, while others, including Serbia and Turkey, have been candidates for years but are far from being accepted.
To become a full member, Armenia would need to implement substantial reforms in legislation, human rights, environmental protection, and economic policies to ensure consistent economic growth. Perhaps the most displeasing requirement would be the adoption of strict migration regulations that would see Armenia introduce travel visas for citizens of all non-EU countries, including Russia and Iran, Armenia’s main trade partners and suppliers of the fair share of tourists to the country.
Armenia’s economic ties with Russia remain significant, even though money transfers from Russia have declined compared to levels seen a decade ago.
Armenia is also a member of the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU), which provides an open market and has long been regarded as a valuable resource for the country. If Armenia were to begin EU accession talks, this could potentially create tensions within the EEU, as aligning with the EU’s policies and requirements may clash with Armenia’s current commitments to the Russian-led trade bloc. Although it’s uncertain when Armenia would be required to leave the EEU during the EU integration process, it is likely to be a complex and difficult transition.
The signature collection campaign will last until November 14. Armenian citizens can sign the petition in any community administration office across the country, including one in each of Yerevan’s districts. Khzmalyan announced on his social media on October 18 that the campaign had managed to collect the required 50,000 signatures.
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